SECONDARY SOURCES The BIG Idea We are Learning

SECONDARY SOURCES

The BIG Idea We are Learning to. . . • Explore the advantages and disadvantages of using secondary sources of information in social research. • Discover what triangulation is, and describe some of the benefits of using it in social research. In today’s lesson. . . GOOD learning … GREAT learning … EVEN BETTER … Be able to more than one advantage and more than one disadvantage of using secondary sources to conduct social research, and give a brief definition of triangulation. Be able to two or three advantages and two or three disadvantages of using secondary sources to conduct social research, and give a brief definition of triangulation and explain one benefit of using it in social research. Be able to identify and describe three or more advantages and three or more disadvantages of using secondary sources to conduct social research, give a clear definition of triangulation, and explain more than one benefit of using it in social research.

OFFICIAL STATISTICS • Produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). • CENSUS • Lots of DEMOGRAPHIC information: birth and death rates, marriages and divorce rates, crime rates, employment and unemployment rates. • EXTENTION: What official statistics exist on education?

KS 4 Headline Figures at Rossett have been consistently outstanding for 5+ years.

DOCUMENTS • Refers to any written text, personal diaries, government reports , newspapers, letters, paintings , sounds and images from film. • PUBLIC DOCUMENTS – government , schools , charities • PERSONAL DOCUMENTS – letters, diaries , photo albums and autobiographies • HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS – personal or public document created in past. • EXTENTION: What official statistics exist on education?

Other Secondary Sources • CASE STUDIES – Detailed examination of a single case such as a school , family or a study of one individual. • LONGITUDINAL STUDIES- a study that follows the sample or group over a long period of time. • LIFE HISTORIES – case studies of individuals , how they construct and interpret their life worlds.

Content Analysis • Objective way of classifying and quantifying a document’s contents. • For example, how many female roles are displayed in a child’s book? • These are simply counted and interpreted.

Content Analysing Your Text Messages • Word Count. • Instances of swear words • Insults to the other person • Instances of ‘text speak’ e. g. LOL • Number of instances of ‘love you’

Triangulation • The use of more than one method of research. • This helps assess the validity of the research methods and data produced. • Usually, it involves the use of a method which generates quantitative data – e. g. official sources. • Usually this is combined with a qualitative method such as unstructured interviews or observation.

Eileen Barker – Making Of A Moonie • In the 1970’s Barker studied the Unification Church (Moonies). Famous for mass weddings, this religious cult had been accused of brainwashing and breaking up families.

Barker’s Triangulation Method • Barker used 3 main methods – In-depth interviews (6 -8 hours) – Participant Observation (at centres over the time period) (at several – 42 page questionnaire • Her research lasted 7 years • She believed her approach gave her much fuller information than any one data source could have done.

Using Official Statistics in Social Research Advantages Disadvantages John Scott’s “ASSESSING DOCUMENTS” • Authenticity • Credibility • Representativeness • Meaning

Essay Plan • Assess the strengths and limitations of using secondary sources of data in social research. 20 marks

The BIG Idea We are Learning to. . . • Explore the advantages and disadvantages of using secondary sources of information in social research. • Discover what triangulation the benefits of using it in social research. In today’s lesson. . . GOOD learning … GREAT learning … EVEN BETTER … Be able to more than one advantage and more than one disadvantage of using secondary sources to conduct social research, and give a brief definition of triangulation. Be able to more two or three advantages and two or three disadvantages of using secondary sources to conduct social research, and give a brief definition of triangulation and explain one benefit of using it in social research. Be able to identify and describe three or more advantages and three or more disadvantages of using secondary sources to conduct social research, give a clear definition of triangulation, and explain more than one benefit of using it in social research.